Anja Coym

Anja Coym is a Clinical Professor in Internal Medicine, Hematology/Oncology, and Palliative Medicine at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE). She serves in the II. Medical Clinic and Polyclinic, part of the Faculty of Medicine. Her work focuses on advanced cancer care, ethical challenges in oncology, and palliative symptom management. Dr. Coym leads the Palliative Medicine division within the Center for Oncology, addressing complex cases requiring interdisciplinary collaboration.

• Education: Medical degree (Dr. med.) from University of Hamburg
• Specializations: Internal Medicine, Hematology, Oncology
• Certifications: Medical Specialist in Palliative Medicine

Research interests prioritize improving palliative care delivery through innovative assessments (e.g., virtual tools for caregiver training) and optimizing shared decision-making models. Her work bridges clinical practice with ethical considerations in end-of-life care, including gender-specific caregiver experiences and systemic challenges in interdisciplinary consultations.

Publications emphasize translational research in immunotherapy (e.g., PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors for prostate and bladder cancer) and clinical oncology. She collaborates on large-scale trials evaluating treatment protocols and palliative care pathways. Recent work explores biomarkers in liquid biopsies (CTC-PD-L1 expression) for urothelial carcinoma prognosis.

• Key contributions: Developed symptom assessment frameworks for palliative care admissions
• Co-designed training modules for virtual palliative care education

Labs/Teams: Active member of UKE's Cancer Center Hamburg and Oncology Ethics Committee. Involved in multidisciplinary tumor boards for complex cases.